Eyperhncnts to decompofe the Muriatic Add. 217 



•fl^rics of experiments, which I made fome time fince, with 

 this view, in conjunclion with Mr. Rupp, we foon found 

 reafon to be diflatisfied with the difficulty and uncertainty of 

 this procefs. An immenfe produftion of hydrogenous gas 

 took place; but it was not eafy to determine whether it had 

 its origin from real acid or from water. Our experiments, 

 however, though infufficient to furnifli decifive proof, induced 

 us to believe that it had the latter origin. 



It liext occurred to nie, that the comparative affinities of 

 the muriatic radical, whatever it may be, and of chare oalj for 

 oxygen, would be elegantly and fAtisfacloriiy afcertained, by 

 eledlrifvino; tocether the c<irbonated hvdroeen and muriatic 

 gafeS. If the nitiriatic acid be capable of decompofition by 

 cifbon, it might be expe6led to be deftroycd by this procefs; 

 and the exa6t quantity of acid decompofed, and the nature 

 and quantity of the products, would thus be eafily deter- 

 mined. I electrified, therefore, the muriatic acid and car- 

 bonated hydrogen gafes, with the mod fcrupulous attention 

 to the phenomena and refults. That the eleilric fluid might 

 not be mifapplied in docompofing the water of the carbon- 

 ated hvdrogen gas, it was kept more than a week, before ufc. 

 Over quicklime, introduced to it while yet hot. 



Expcr. 10. Of this carbonated hydrogenous gas, 186 mea- 

 fiues were expanded, by 130 fliocks, to 211 ; that is, the gas 

 tvas increafed to about i-8lh its bulk. 



Exper. X 1 . Of the fame gas, 84 meafures were mixed with 

 316 of muriatic acid gas, dried by muriat of lime. Bv 120 

 fhocks, the rhi>{ture was a little dilated. After the admiflion 

 of a drop or two of water, there remained 91 meafures; 

 7. c, the addition of permanent gas was 7 meafures, or about 

 as much as might have been exj)C(Sled from the muriatic gas 

 alone. 



Exper. 12. Eighty-three meafures of dry carbonated hy- 

 drogenous gas, vvith 89 of muriatic acid gas, received 200 

 fliocks. The permanent refidue, after the admiffion of wa- 

 ter, was 101 meafures : the addition, therefore, amounted to 

 18. Of the added 18, fix may be accounted for by the de- 

 compofition of the water of the muriatic gas, and 10 by that 

 mF the carbonated hydrogenous gas. There remain, thcre- 



